2008 York College Women's Soccer Preview

Aug 21, 2008

Defending Capital Athletic Conference
champions.
That’s where the York College
women’s soccer squad sits heading into the 2008 season.
It’s a position that the program is a bit unfamiliar with,
however, the Spartans are very comfortable wearing the crown.
The 2007 season was one for the record books.
The Spartans, after two previous trips to the Capital
Athletic Conference championship game, captured the title
with a 2-0 road victory at Salisbury. That punched their ticket to
the first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. The
green and white was not satisfied with just making a tournament
appearance as they again went on the road and defeated Richard
Stockton and highly touted Virginia Wesleyan in the first two
rounds of the tournament to advance to the Sweet 16. The road came
to an end in the round of 16 as York fell to Messiah College, the
eventual national runner-up.
Spartan head coach Vicki
Sterner knows that this season will be different for the
green and white. The Spartans will be the hunted instead of the
hunters, something Sterner feels this team is equipped to
handle.
“Last year was so
special,” says the 2007 CAC Coach-of-the-Year.
“The way we struggled a bit to start the year, and then the
way we really turned it on towards the end of the year. I believe
this team understands that we are now the team that everyone wants
to beat. The entire theme in the off-season is that we have to work
even harder than we have before because teams are going to be
giving us their best effort every time out. Every other CAC team
wants to beat the champions from the year before. It gives those
teams something to hang their hats on.”
Sterner must replace a great group of six
departed seniors including the top two leading scorers in the
history of the program. Erin Kuhn and Emily Sullivan leave
YCP as the two most prolific offensive players in school
history. Kuhn owns school records in single season goals (17),
single season points (43), career goals (49), and career points
(129) while Sullivan ranks second in single season goals
(14), second in single season assists (10), second (37), and third
(32) in single season points, second in career goals (49), first in
career assists (34), and second in career points (116). Sterner
must also replace two-time All-CAC defender Katie Kegerreis
as the Spartans are expecting to reload for 2008.
“Certainly losing a senior class like
last year’s group is tough,” says Sterner.
“Emily, Erin, Katie, Jenna Knaper, Ashley Gross, and Emily
Wolf formed the most successful class in the history of the
program. They were a group that fought through tough times to end
their careers in the way they did was a testament to their
toughness and leadership. We will miss them but they did a great
job of preparing the rest of the team for success this
year.”
Sterner turns to another good senior class for
leadership in 2008. All-CAC defender Kali
Macgregor headlines a class that features fellow
All-CAC forward Jill Stanley, defender
Caitlin Allen, goalkeeper Meagan
Cahill, and midfielder Sam Shultz.
Macgregor may have been the best player in the
CAC last year. She is a shutdown defender who is very strong
and has a great head for the game. Macgregor is a leader on and off
the field and brings a great enthusiasm to the squad. She earned
NSCAA all-regoin accolades last year.
“I felt Kali had the most impact of any
player in our conference last year,” says Sterner.
“She is such a tough kid and she leaves everything on the
field each and every day whether it is practice or a game. Kali is
a great role model for all of our players both on and off the
field. I really expect her to have an outstanding senior
year.”
Macgregor will team with Allen to give the
Spartans a strong backbone on defense.
Allen is a player that emerged as a key player
on defense last fall. She has the ability to push up and join the
attack while she can also get back to maintain the integrity of the
defense. Allen got the game-winning goal in the
CAC championship game last season.
“Cait has worked very hard and made
herself into an all-conference caliber player,” states
Sterner. “She is a steady performer that is one of the key
members of the defense.”
Macgregor and Allen headline the defense but
there are three other very talented players that make the Spartan
defense the strength of the team. Junior Lauren
Stewart, junior Jackie Moser, and
sophomore Ally Wivell give Sterner a group that is
deep in experience and in talent.
Stewart is quietly one of the best players on
the Spartan squad. Her toughness and skill give Sterner a versatile
player that can play back on defense while she can also push up
into the midfield and kick start the Spartan offense.
“Lauren is one of the best players that
no one really knows about. She has been fantastic in her first two
years and her play is one of the reasons for our success last
year,” says Sterner.
Moser is another talented defender who has
emerged as a leader for the green and white. Moser battled injuries
early last year but bounced back to finish very strong. She will
serve, along with Macgregor and Allen, as a Spartan captain in
2008.
“Jackie is a tough, physical player that
fits right in with how we play defense,” says Sterner.
“She is a leader that will hold her teammates accountable and
have high expectations for herself.”
Wivell is the youngest player in the group, but
she earned her stripes last year after stepping on the field and
replacing Kegerreis after the senior standout injured her knee in
the October 10 game against Gettysburg. Wivell entered the lineup
on October 12 and the Spartans allowed just eight goals over the
final 10 games of the season with Wivell in the lineup. Three of
those eight goals came in the Sweet 16 loss to Messiah.
“Ally did a great job of stepping in as a
freshman and playing great,” says Sterner. “I have high
expectations for her to be even better this year. She has a better
idea of what we expect and the other defenders feel very
comfortable with her back there.”
The Spartan goaltending situation is a bit
unsettled. Cahill returns for her senior year, but she missed time
in the fall and the spring with injuries. Cahill finished the year
with a 0.83 goals against average, a save percentage of .773 and
seven shutouts in 19 starts for 2007. She will be pushed by a slew
of newcomers giving York strong depth in net.
The Spartan midfield and attack is far more
unsettled than the defense. Sterner will count on Stanley and
All-CAC team member Steph Mergler up top at forward. Stanley
finished last year with 20 points on eight goals and four assists.
She had four game-winning goals for the season, tying her with
Mergler for the team lead. Mergler finished a stellar freshman
campaign with 15 points on five goals and five assists from the
midfield. Those are numbers that should increase with her move to
forward.
“Jill and Steph are both quality
players,” says Sterner. “Jill has been a
three-year starter and is a consistent producer for us. Steph has
tremendous upside and a work ethic that is nothing short of
amazing. I expect us to be strong up top with Jill and Steph. We
have a number of quality recruits and some returning sophomores
that will give us good depth and skill up top.”
The midfield sees Shultz, junior
Kaitlyn Harney, junior Meghan
Rowland, sophomore Allie Jensen, and
sophomore Ilana Kline. This group has potential to
be very good but they will need the preseason to gel and become a
conducive unit. Sterner welcomes in a large group of midfielders,
many of which could battle for significant playing time as
freshmen.
“Our group of returning midfielders has
potential but they need to step up and make themselves
factors,” says Sterner. “I feel that when we add
newcomers to the mix, we will be strong in the midfield. How
quickly they come together will help determine our level of success
early in the year.”
Sterner is excited to get the 2008 campaign
under way.
“I feel we have a very talented team
coming back, and I think our recruiting class is one of our deepest
in the history of the program,” says
Sterner. “We are a very attractive option for talented
high school players, and that has helped us continue to be one of
the best teams in our conference. While last year was amazing, it
is now history. We have focused on making new history this fall. It
is an exciting time to be involved with the York College
women’s soccer program.”
The Spartans open the season on August 30 at
the Susquehanna University Tournament.